At Bellarmine, inspired teaching leads to inspired learning. You will learn in small classes from a distinguished faculty, 84 percent of whom hold the highest degree in their field of study. The depth of their passion for teaching is perhaps exceeded only by the quality of the institutions from which they earned their credentials.
While the emphasis is on teaching, many Bellarmine faculty members conduct scholarly research designed to provide breakthrough knowledge in their area of expertise. Bellarmine students have done research with faculty members to study a wide range of subjects from the function of the artificial heart in outer space, to the mechanics of how limbs break, which may help in the design of air bags and other safety devices aimed at reducing injuries. Student involvement with faculty research also provides opportunities to assist with writing papers and preparing presentations for national conferences.
Bill Curley
Bill Curley holds a Master's Degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University. He is currently an adjunct faculty member teaching Criminal Profiling, Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, Global Terrorism and a course on Careers in Law Enforcement. He has taught at Bellarmine since 2004 and previously was an adjunct faculty member at Eastern Kentucky University, where he taught for five years. He is a retired Federal Agent having served for over 25 years with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, retiring as the Special Agent in Charge of the states of Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia. He also taught and developed courses at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located in Georgia. He specialized in investigating Arson For Profit cases and traveled nationwide developing Arson Task Forces throughout the country.
Frank Hutchins, Ph.D.
Dr. Hutchins is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Bellarmine. He earned his BA from the University of Kentucky, his MA from the Patterson School of Diplomacy at UK, and his PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on cultural change amongst indigenous peoples in the Amazonian and Andean regions of Ecuador. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador, and continues to do research and work there as director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Field School in Ecuador for the Study of Language, Culture, & Community Health. At Bellarmine, he teaches Introduction to Cultural Anthropology; Introduction to Human Geography; Anthropology of Mind and Body; Anthropology of the Supernatural and Sacred; Anthropology and the Environment; and Theory and Methods in Anthropology. Dr. Hutchins also serves as coordinator of the IDC 301 courses. He is the co-editor, along with Dr. Patrick Wilson, of Editing Eden: A Reconsideration of Identity, Politics, and Place in Amazonia (University of Nebraska Press, 2010). He is a native of Bardstown, KY, and he and his wife, Christine, have one daughter, Anna.
Ainsley Lambert-Swain, Ph.D.
Originally from Louisville, Ainsley Lambert-Swain earned her B.A. in sociology from Morehead State University, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Cincinnati. She joined the faculty at Bellarmine University as an assistant professor of Sociology in 2018. She teaches several sociology courses, including Introduction to Sociology, Social Inequality, Contemporary Social Problems, Race and Ethnicity, and the introductory course for the African and African American Diaspora Studies Minor. Her research interests include racial and ethnic inequality in the U.S., critical race theory, and racial identity processes, including how racial identities are negotiated in interaction. Her current research examines how partners in interracial relationships understand and navigate racial meanings across racially segregated spaces. At her previous institution and during her time here at Bellarmine, she has dedicated herself to creating an inclusive campus, serving on university committees and leading workshops on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. When she is not teaching or doing research, she enjoys traveling to new places, trying new foods, and spending time with her family.
Heather Pruss, Ph.D.
Heather Pruss earned her BA and Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. She has taught courses on a wide variety of topics, including (Introduction to) Criminal Justice, Criminological Theory, Research Methods, Courts, Capital Punishment, and Law & Society. At Bellarmine, she hopes to develop new courses focused on pertinent social/criminal justice issues, such as wrongful conviction or defending the accused. Broadly speaking, Heather’s research focuses on how oft-marginalized individuals experience the United States court system. She has done work on how capital jurors make life or death decisions, how indigent clients perceive their public defenders, and how family members and friends of homicide victims navigate case adjudication. Heather looks forward to engaging with students and community members through her research agenda and has a strong interest in experiential approaches to pedagogy.
Heather enjoys spending time outdoors, especially with her partner and their animal pack. She grew up in nearby Santa Claus, Indiana.
Dr. Jennifer Sinski
Jennifer Sinski holds a Ph.D. in Applied Sociology from the University of Louisville, an MA in English Literature from Murray State and an MAT in Education from Bellarmine University. Dr Sinski’s research includes a focus on Gender and Leadership in Animal Sheltering Organizations and publications including journal articles, book chapters and a book focusing on animals and society, gender, sexuality and PTSD and classroom instruction. She teaches several sociology courses and serves as the coordinator for internships in CJS and Sociology. In her free time, Sinski enjoys training and competing in agility, rally and scent work with her three Pomeranians.
Dr. Maggie Stone
Maggie Stone has a Ph.D. in Applied Sociology and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She is a Licensed Psychological Associate in the state of Kentucky. She teaches online and hybrid courses at Bellarmine in Introduction to Sociology and Social Theory. Her areas of specialization include marginalized populations such as persons in trafficking and the medically fragile. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with family, playing with her dog, and gardening.